20 Resume Design Tips and Examples

Did you know that a recruiter takes just six seconds to scan your resume? Standing out from the crowd and making a great first impression is important when you’re hoping to catch the eye of a hiring manager - whether it be with your font choice, color combinations or designs.

Having a well designed and visually appealing resume can put you in front of your competition and help you get noticed, a great way to increase the chances of landing that job you’ve always wanted! Not sure where to start? We’ve helped by putting together a list of the 20 best resume design tips with some great examples!

1. Use color to highlight important information

Want a particular aspect of your resume design to stand out and catch the attention of the reader? If you’re in the design industry, it can be a good idea to incorporate some color into your resume. This clever design features pastels ranging from dark to light, to highlight sections of your resume.

2. Arrange your content like an infographic

Infographics are a great way to graphically and visually present your resume. The content can be easily scanned and viewed by readers in a compelling and attractive way - a great way to showcase any facts, figures and statistics!

3. Modern meets traditional

Are you looking for a modern twist to your resume? Don’t want to go overboard? There’s a fine line between a quirky and an overdone resume design, so it’s important to know how to stick to the basics. This resume is a great example of how to modernise your resume whilst still keeping a traditional structure.

4. Keep it professionally monochromatic

Professionalism is important when you’re applying for a position and there’s no better way to highlight this than with a clear resume design. To create a formal and professional resume, you could apply a clean black and white design to present your information clearly and visibly. This is perfect to add a traditional and professional look to any resume!

5. Showcase your creative ability

Putting your skills on show can be a great way to present your resume and can give the hiring manager an idea of your marketing or design ability. A creative resume design can not only catch the eye of a recruiter, but engage them and increase the chances of your resume being read. This resume showcases the designer’s ability, whilst also providing a great platform to present information, separated by eye catching graphics and headings.

6. Contrasting colors

When using bright colored fonts on a dark background, one of the most important decisions to consider is color choice in your resume design. Applying this contrast in your designs can be a great way to make your resume stand out so that your headers and information are clear. If you’re looking to make your resume pop, contrasting colors can be a good idea!

7. Add a timeline

Incorporating a timeline of your work experience into your resume can be a creative way to present your job history and gives an indication of your learning experience. This resume design presents each job clearly with a color scheme allocated to the timeline bar to distinguish between jobs. If you’re looking for a quirky way to showcase your work experience, this resume design is ideal!

8. Add a personal logo

If you have a personal logo, now is the time to use it in your resume design. A logo can speak volumes about you and the services you offer, so let your logo do the talking by adding it to the top of your resume. It’s also a great way to stay memorable and stand out against your competitors.

9. Add a consistent color combination

Including a consistent color combination in your resume design can be a great way to present your content. A consistent color combination is professional and can complement your resume design. This particular resume showcases a white and green design - a vibrant color combination ideal for graphic designers.

10. Use blocks to separate content

Separating your resume into clear blocks can help you present all of your contact information neatly without cluttering up the main body of your resume. This resume design allows the reader to clearly follow the structure of your resume - a great way to stay memorable!

11. Apply a vertical design

Using a vertical design in your resume can be a great way to separate your content clearly so that your information can be presented simply. This resume design showcases its content by clearly separating experience and education.

12. Use bold designs

Show off your larger than life personality with a bold resume. Incorporating bold text with large images can be a great way to showcase your personal brand and artistic ability - perfect if you’re a graphic designer!

13. Clearly present your skills

Every job requires certain unique skills and abilities - so why not show off yours? A great way to do this is to highlight your ability level and strength in each skill. This resume design is a great example of how to showcase your skills creatively. The longer the colored bar, the more skilled in a certain area - a great way to present your capabilities!

14. Font choice is important

Your font choice is a great element in your resume and can change the tone of your personal brand. Incorporating two or more fonts in your headers can be a quirky way to add creativity to your resume and make certain sections stand out. In this resume, the owner’s personal brand is highlighted with the use of a quirky font - a great way to stay memorable in the mind of a hiring manager.

15. Structure your resume

Structuring your resume can be a great way to organise the layout and design of your CV. When you’re doing this, it can be good idea to have a draft structure planned so that you how much space is allocated per section of your resume. The hiring manager will be able to clearly follow the flow and structure of your resume in the way that you envisioned.

16. Section your content

Sectioning your resume can be a great way to help your reader immediately find the information they are looking for. When using this format in your resume design, it can be helpful to caption each section so that the reader doesn’t have to spend too much time searching for the section they want to read. Instead, you hiring manager can simply scan your resume and easily find what they are looking for.

17. Use a patterned background

Showcasing your resume on a patterned background works wonderfully to add some flair to a minimalistic resume design. This resume displays the background with only a slightly visible around the edges. Avoid making it too broad or it may overshadow the resume itself.

18. Keep it minimalistic

When it comes to resume design, a minimalistic approach can never go wrong. When in doubt, choose this simple style by clearly structuring all your information. This way, hiring managers can easily find all the information they need.

19. Add embellishments

Using graphics and color on the edges or corners of your resume can be a great way to make your design more vibrant. These embellishments will help to break up your resume structure and complement your resume design - a good way to make a statement when applying for a job.

20. Include icons in your design

Today, you can find icons that represent almost any emotion, skill or category. Incorporating icons in your resume can break up your information and add diversity to your resume design. Replacing some of your ‘skills’ with icons and a simple skill title can be a great way to achieve this.

Hiring a graphic designer can be a great way to create stunning designs for your resume, logo, business card orletterhead! Simply post a project on Freelancer and you'll receive bids from our talented experts in just seconds!